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Kat Odell

Perhaps one of the most effortless and refreshing cocktails out there, a radler is composed of a blonde lager mixed with equal parts lemonade or citrus-flavored soda.
In place of the more traditional lemon, this radler recipe involves a simple grapefruit syrup that’s built from fresh grapefruit juice, grapefruit zest, honey, water, and a hint of rosemary. Since you add the grapefruit juice last, it ends up tasting like fresh juice, with sweet notes of honey and a mild herbal undertone thanks to the rosemary.

The michelada just might be my all-time favorite low-alcohol sipper, thanks to its savory nature. While restaurants and bars serve gussied-up versions of this classic Mexican libation, the bare-bones basics call for a Mexican beer, tomato juice, spices (ideally the blend Tajín Clásico, which is a combo of salt, chiles, and lime), and a choice of sauces, like Worcestershire, soy, or even teriyaki—sometimes mixed together, other times added separately, depending on who is building the drink. It ends up tasting sort of like a bloody Mary, but with a more mellow beer base instead of a vodka spike. Personally, I like extra spice and acid in mine (bring on the fresh lime juice!), and a pinch of salt mixed into the cocktail serves to accentuate its flavors for an extra-bright-tasting drink.
As is the case with most any recipe, the following is really a set of guidelines—if you like more or less spice, and more or less acid, feel free to adjust the measurements to suit your palate.